A normal day for firemen’s wives ends in gloom

SHAH ALAM: A text to say that he would be home late due to a search and rescue operation turned out to be Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim’s final words to his wife.

Housewife Rosmaria Abdul Ramli said she last saw her husband on Wednesday morning.

“After he left for work, I got a WhatsApp message from him at about 6.55pm, saying that he would be back late as he had to search for a drowning victim.

“I went to bed with the kids at about 11pm. He was still not home.

“Then some of his colleagues came over at around midnight, asking me to accompany them to the hospital,” said the 32-year-old yesterday.

Rosmaria said it all felt like a bad dream.

“I sensed something wrong when told that my husband was in hospital. I thought he was in an accident, but they told me to be patient.

“I never thought that he would be gone just like that,” added the mother of three daughters.

She said the eldest girl, aged seven years, was aware of her father’s death.

“Our youngest is the closest to him. And she has been looking for her father since Wednesday night,” Rosmaria said, adding that Izatul’s remains would be buried at his hometown in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.

As for Shahmiza Salleh, 32, she received a text message from Adnan Othman, 33, informing her that he would be home late.

“That morning, our breakfast together with our daughters was like every other day. I just could not believe that he is gone forever,” Shahmiza said, adding that her mother-in-law Roonani Abdullah, 58, was devastated.

In Port Dickson, Norshamiza Salleh, who lost her fireman husband Adnan Othman, promised to stay strong for her two young chil- dren. The 32-year-old said she accepted his death as God’s will.

“Although he is gone, I will have to remain positive,” she said after his burial at the Lukut Muslim cemetery.

Present to pay their last respects were Mentri Besar Aminuddin Harun and Adnan’s colleagues.

Five of the seven candidates involved in the Oct 13 Port Dickson by-election – Pakatan Harapan’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, PAS’ Lt Col (Rtd) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar and independents Tan Sri Isa Samad, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan and Kan Chee Yuen – also paid their last respects to the victim.